Fall 2008/Winter 2009 Class Sked

[krazykhoja]

Hey...figured everybody could post up what their skeds are for fall/winter are (UofC) or what they are thinking of taking....this way people can let people know if they are good classes/profs etc & people can find out other people in their classes...helps for notes/studying etc...

Fall 2008:

MWF: Arky 325 9-9:50am Geoffrey McCafferty
MWF Econ 471 11-1150am Subhasish Dugar
MW Phil 319 5-615pm Ann Levey

Winter 2009:
TR 930-1045am Soci 355 Kevin McQuillan
TR 11-1215pm CNST 451 Maxwell Foran
TR 2-315pm Econ 431 Ana Ferrer


Also thinking of Coms 363...but not sure if Doug Brent (fall) or Jo-Anne Darlene Andre (Winter)...both are online though...any help is appreciated


This is my last year...and need 2 econ classes & then the rest senior options to graduate...

Thanks for any input!

[r0g3r]

we are allowed to register already? and just wondering, what are you majoring in?

[krazykhoja]

my registration starts monday...I think some ppl have already started also...but most people I believe start next week...

I'm majoring in Econ...but kinda glad I have options left...makes for a nice break...lol...
what are you majoring in? and what year are you going into...the higher you're year the earlier youre registration from what i know

[Gainsbarre]

I have heard some very bad things about Dugar and Ferrer (being a grad student in econ, word about these things gets around pretty quick).

Looking at the fall ECON schedule, I don't actually see any really desirable 400+ level classes being offered. The only ones that I could (sort of) recommend would be 403 with Wen (interesting course, decent prof) or 537 (Gonzales is a very good prof, but I personally don't find growth theory very interesting). ECON 557 is a very good class, but you probably don't have all the prereqs for it. The only 400+ level classes offered in the fall that I've taken are 403 (years ago with McKenzie) and 557 (a few years ago with Eaton). I did take the predecessor to 495 (419), but I don't know how much that's changed in the last few years.

For 400+ econ in the winter, I'd give my highest recommendation to ECON 423 with Janko (she is the Czech sensation after all). Gaisford and Church are two other profs who are very good, and you'll get a lot out of their classes (that's my way of saying that they'll work you hard). Of the winter 400+ ECON classes offered, I've taken 423 (with Zuzana of course), 559 (with Kneebone -- ugh), and again, the predecessor to 495/497 (419).

Any questions about ECON, just let me know...I have been taking ECON classes from the U of C every year since 2001.

[r0g3r]

oh im going into 3rd year engg, just checked my registration date and its next week also (thursday). I have a friend that's majoring in econ too, also going into 4th year. I also need to take coms 363 during winter instead, to even out the workload, so im wondering if jo-anne darlene andre is any good? or monique maria solomon?

[krazykhoja]

Hey gainsbarre I am wondering what you heard bad about ferrer...if I am not mistaken I took an Econ course with her two years ago (on health something...I dont fully remember) and found her to be a decent professor...

As for fall...yes not much that piqued my interest, as for 403...its on a T/R and atm I have a M/W/F sked that I would prefer to keep so have you heard anything good about: 427 or 431 or the professors teaching it??

I've taken 423/425 and both Janko and Gaisford are amazing professors!!

Have you heard anything good/bad about 499 with Walls?


And anybody that can shed more light on coms 363 as well!! or any other classes that people feel are worthwhile/interesting as senior level options!

Thanks!

[Team_Mclaren]

wow good advice on 400 level econs, i need to do mine monday as wel.

[krazykhoja]

econ453 in winter with Theodore Horbulyk, good class/prof??

Team_McLaren what year are you going into?

anybody heard good/bad things about CNST333 and Phil319? Taking the Phil course because I want to get into law and felt it would be a good course to take...any opinions??

[Team_Mclaren]

I took 357 with Horbulyk and it was alright i thought, he's a good prof, but the material was boring....

Im going into my 5th but im a double major. All i have left for econ are my 400s.

[krazykhoja]

Oh cool....Im entering 5th but just doing a single degree...too much slacking in earlier years...

The 400 Econs are messing up the rest of my sked with what I want to take...so hopefully I can sort it all out...

Team_McLaren any opinions on Dugar??

I believe Gainsbarre as he's helped me out lots before but second opinions never hurt either...might have to take one of his classes to fit my sked


Econ481 in winter...even though its with Dugar...anybody have opinions on the class?

[Gainsbarre]

Ferrer -- I have heard people say that they've had difficulty understanding her and some students felt that she wasn't very capable at answering student's questions. Again, that's just what I've heard -- I've never taken a class from her.

I've never heard any good things about Walls (people say he's really bad). I did hear an amusing antidote about him though...(may or may not be true) around 2003 somebody overheard him complaining to another professor about the low student evaluations that he was receiving and apparently, he thought that he could remedy the situation by wearing a suit & tie to each lecture. I think he's worn a suit/tie to all lectures from 2004 onwards.

Heard very bad things about Horbulyk. Very unpopular with the graduate students -- he's supposed to be flush with cash in the form of research grants, but none of the students are willing to put up with him (i.e. select him as their thesis supervisor), so the money goes unclaimed year after year. I haven't heard any good things about the cost/benefit analysis class either.

All is just stuff I've heard though -- I've never had a class with Ferrer, Walls, or Horbulyk & have never socialized with any of them.

As for 427, I think that that's a brand new course (the course number certainly did not exist when I was an undergrad).

As for 431 from Bruce...well I've heard pretty mixed things about Bruce and his labour courses (he's been teaching them for many years). It might not be a bad choice for you actually, if you're looking to get into law. One of Bruce's research/specialty areas is law and economics (and he also runs a consulting firm on the side that has to do with legal matters), so I'm sure his labour class will have a bit of a "legal" flavour to it. You will have to write a term paper in Bruce's classes, which can be a good or bad thing, depending on your point of view. I'm sure that if you do well in his class, he could be a valuable reference to have for a law school application.

Come to think of it, I DID actually take PHIL 319 as an option way back in 2002. I found it to be pretty interesting...it was actually taught by this super cool English dude -- apparently he's a professor emeritus of Philosophy from the U of A, but he never let us on to that...in fact, he never even made any mention of his PhD, and always asked that we call him by his first name (the professor’s name is Foster Walker, if I recall correctly). I did however take PHIL 329 (Business Ethics) as well and found it to be slightly more interesting...but both 319 and 329 are good.

[Team_Mclaren]

Ferrer is brutal, i took 301 with her and eventually dropped it. Her lectures were useless as no one ever understands what shes trying to say. She cant answer questions either. I guess the exams were reasonable but since no one learned anything, everyone pretty much failed.

Horbulyk I really didnt mind last semester, he takes the time to answer any questions and the exams were reasonable. This was for 357 tho.

[cjab]

I took coms 363 with Andre and did fairly well in that class. It really depends on who your T.A. will be as they do all the marking. The class is fairly simple, some online quizzes and a few assignments then a major paper at the end of the semester. Most of the papers can be done with a group, but I didn't know anyone in that class, so if you can, I would suggest taking with with 2 or 3 friends to reduce your workload.

[krazykhoja]

I've decided to take Econ453 in the fall instead of 471 so hopefully that works out better...I think I'll stay with Ferrer in the winter though...I've had a class before and while sometimes it can be difficult to understand I thought she was a decent prof and not too hard of a marker.

I've totally switched my sked now though so it reads:

Fall:
CNST 333 TR 930-1045
Soci 371 TR 4-515
Econ 453 TR 11-1215

Winter:
Econ 431 TR 2-315
Soci 355 930-1045

Coms still not sure which semester

Also thinking about Phil 347 in the winter: TR 11-1215 with Elizabeth Brake, anybody know anything about this class...it seems quite interesting

I've been looking at the GPA boosters as well....looking for an easier course thats interesting...preferrably TR in the winter...any help is appreciated!!

[Gainsbarre]

Originally posted by krazykhoja

Also thinking about Phil 347 in the winter: TR 11-1215 with Elizabeth Brake, anybody know anything about this class...it seems quite interesting

I've been looking at the GPA boosters as well....looking for an easier course thats interesting...preferrably TR in the winter...any help is appreciated!!

PHIL 347 -- I think that's contemporary moral problems...a class I had wanted to take but wound up taking 319/329 instead, along with a few MUHL classes from Victor Coelho.

Hm...Elizabeth Brake. I had ECON 389 in Winter 2006 in ST 027 MWF @ 2pm and I think she was the professor of the philosophy class in ST 027 at 1pm. I heard that she's good. She also seemed to always stick around until 2pm answering student's questions -- plus she's fairly young and pretty good looking for a prof (with no ring...)

[Freeway2k]

I'm fifth year ECON/POLI.

Fall:
ECON 345; MWF 9-9:50, Christopher Bruce
POLI 383; MWF 10-10:50, James Keeley
POLI 343; TR 8-9:15, Rainer Knopff
POLI 411; W 16-18:50, Barry Cooper

Winter:
ECON 477; TR 11-12:15, Robert Church
PHIL 305; MWF 13-13:50, Reid Buchanan
POLI 405; MW 16-17:15, Tom Flanagan
POLI 444; TR 9:30-10:45, Rainer Knopff

[Gainsbarre]

Originally posted by Freeway2k
I'm fifth year ECON/POLI.

Fall:
ECON 345; MWF 9-9:50, Christopher Bruce
POLI 383; MWF 10-10:50, James Keeley
POLI 343; TR 8-9:15, Rainer Knopff
POLI 411; W 16-18:50, Barry Cooper

Winter:
ECON 477; TR 11-12:15, Robert Church
PHIL 305; MWF 13-13:50, Reid Buchanan
POLI 405; MW 16-17:15, Tom Flanagan
POLI 444; TR 9:30-10:45, Rainer Knopff

Ah, I see somebody looks to be a fan of the Calgary School...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calgary_School

One class with Cooper was more than enough for me to switch majors after my first semester.

[Ajay]

I had an Econ class with Ferrer my last year. I don't remember the number of the class but it was Economics of Social Problems. Class was interesting enough but she was quite scattered in her teaching methods. She was all over the place when it came to explaining the material. In all fairness it was the first time she ever taught that class.

Since it was the first time she taught it she was a little more forgiving with exam marks but I don't think I would take a class with her again just based on my experience with her in that one.

[Gainsbarre]

The strange thing about Ferrer is that I've heard that she's a poor instructor, while her spouse in the department (Francisco Gonzalez) is thought of as one of the top professors in the department, especially in terms of teaching ability. Well, Ferrer & Gonzalez did come as a set (and are incidentally, not the only husband-wife tandem in the economics department), so maybe it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise...

[Eleanor]

Holy shit you business guys have barely any classes Are you guys still out in four years or are you spreading out your degrees?